HomeHikingPrimus Important Path Backpacking Range Overview

Primus Important Path Backpacking Range Overview


Primus Important Path Backpacking Range Overview
The Important Path with its fewer transferring components means it’s tougher to interrupt. – Picture Credit score: Brett Kretzer (CleverHiker.com)

Backside Line

When you’re in search of a dependable backpacking range that is so simple as it will get and almost unbreakable, look no additional. The Primus Important Path has zero transferring components (apart from the valve management) and is as steady as they arrive. Its sturdy, strong design is ideal for anybody who doesn’t wish to must mess with foldable range arms. It additionally occurs to be extraordinarily inexpensive.

The Primus Important Path boils water rapidly, has wonderful simmer management, and within reason light-weight. We’ve put it by means of rigorous testing and brought it on journeys within the Rocky Mountain alpine, and it performs nicely even in excessive winds.

It’s not the lightest or most compact range on our listing of one of the best backpacking stoves, however we’re impressed by the efficiency and reliability of this range and we expect it’s nicely value contemplating whether or not you’re a newbie backpacker or a seasoned thru-hiker.

Fast Specs

Primus Important Path

Inexpensive Range with a Broad Burner & Nice Simmer Management


Rating:

67.3/100


Value:

$30


Weight:

4 oz.


Gasoline Sort:

Isobutane/propane canister


Boil Time:

3m 30s


Burn Time (8 oz. gasoline):

60m

Professionals

  • Inexpensive
  • Simmer management
  • Secure pot assist
  • Sturdy
  • Easy design

Cons

  • Heavier/bulkier than some
  • Doesn’t include a stuff sack/carry case

The hands of a hiker prepare to place a pot on the Primus Essential Trail while the flame is burning. The stove sits on a rock and the hiker his holding the pot above the stove. The background is a lake and trees.
The Primus Important Path is an easy range that’s extraordinarily simple to cook dinner with. – Picture Credit score: Brett Kretzer (CleverHiker.com)

Comfort

There aren’t many backpacking stoves which are as forgiving and simple to make use of because the Primus Important Path. There aren’t transferring components to interrupt, and there aren’t even any equipment to lose. The Laminar Move Burner Expertise permits for a decrease heart of gravity which, paired with full contact pot helps, makes for an especially steady range. The draw back of the full-contact pot helps is that your pot will wobble if it’s domed on the underside.

Due to the simplicity of the design, the Important Path doesn’t have a bunch of bells and whistles. The principle one it’s missing is an igniter swap, which might be widespread in a range of this dimension and weight but it surely’s not a deal breaker for us. 

The Primus Essential Trail screwed on a fuel canister and holding a small pot. Trees are in the background.
The Primus Important path works for pots of most sizes. – Picture Credit score: Brett Kretzer (CleverHiker.com)

Weight & Packability

If weight and packability are your prime priorities, then the Primus Important Path is strong, however there are lighter choices on the market. It weighs about 4 ounces and is the dimensions of a tennis ball with out being collapsible. When you examine that to built-in range methods, that’s really fairly small and light-weight. Nonetheless, in comparison with ultralight foldable stoves, it’s undoubtedly on the cumbersome aspect.

The semi-bulky dimension goes to make it tough to pack right into a small 500-600ml pot, so we advocate pairing the range with a 750ml or one-liter pot. Doing simply that would really provide the excellent glad medium with the simplicity and sturdiness of an built-in range system and a few of the light-weight and packability of an ultralight mannequin.

The Primus Essential stove packed into a one liter pot with an 8oz fuel canister. The stove is sticking out of the pot just a little. The whole thing sites on a bed of pine needles.
The Primus Important Path is simply barely too large to suit inside a one-liter pot with an 8oz gasoline canister. – Picture Credit score: Brett Kretzer (CleverHiker.com)

Energy & Effectivity

The Primus Important Path impressed us with its fast boil occasions each with and with out wind. With out wind, it was capable of boil one liter of water in about three and a half minutes. With most stoves, the boil time tripled and even quadrupled when fixed wind was launched, the Important Path’s boil time solely doubled with wind – fairly spectacular for a non-integrated system at this worth level. The wind-blocking properties are largely due to its strong and strong pot helps. The big, barely convex, burner floor effectively disperses warmth over the underside of your pot.

This range ranks among the many finest with reference to gasoline effectivity. The Important Path used about 0.2 ounces of normal isobutane gasoline to boil one liter of water tying the entire best stoves that we examined.

You possibly can really feel assured cooking up a storm with the Primus Important Path. Whether or not you’re cooking for a number of individuals, making three heat meals a day, or are on an prolonged backpacking journey, this range will profit from each ounce of a gasoline canister.

The Primus Essential Trail is screwed onto a fuel canister and its flame is active. The center of the pot support is red hot. A tent wall and pine needles are in the background.
The pot stand does get crimson sizzling, but it surely’s nonetheless secure to deal with on the perimeters and backside of the range. – Picture Credit score: Brett Kretzer (CleverHiker.com)

Precision

The Primus Important Path additionally has distinctive flame variability, permitting for a variety of simmer management. It may be turned on full blast for a fast boil or dialed again to medium to low for individuals who wish to saute contemporary meals within the backcountry. The huge flame output does a wonderful job of dispersing warmth throughout the underside of your pot, behaving extra like your range at dwelling.

A close up of the Primus Essential Trail's valve control knob. The stove is screwed onto a fuel canister.
The Primus Important Path encompasses a valve management that provides respectable flame precision. – Picture Credit score: Brett Kretzer (CleverHiker.com)

Ought to You Purchase the Primus ESsential Path?

The Primus Important Path is good for the backpacker who’s torn between an ultralight cook dinner setup and an built-in system. Like an built-in system, it boils quick, is fairly windproof, makes use of gasoline effectively, and is exceptionally steady. Nonetheless, particularly when paired with an ultralight pot, it’s not almost as cumbersome and heavy as an built-in system.

The Important Path can be nice for hikers who’re onerous on gear, as this factor is principally bombproof. There aren’t any flimsy arms or transferring components to wiggle unfastened or break in case you had been to say drop your stake-pounding rock on it.

Though the Important Path performs like a champ, it’ll take up a good quantity of actual property in your cookset and add about two to 3 ounces over one of the best ultralight choices. With that in thoughts, it won’t be the only option for ounce-counting ultralight backpackers.

A hiker filters water into a pot that is sitting on the primus essential trail stove. Tent, backpack, and other gear are in the background.
The Primus Important Path is steady sufficient to carry a big pot whilst you fill it with water. – Picture Credit score: Brett Kretzer (CleverHiker.com)

What Different Backpacking Stoves Ought to You Contemplate?

JetBoil Flash Overview: When you loved the steadiness and windproof qualities of the Important Path, the JetBoil Flash takes it to the subsequent degree as a completely built-in range system. It does nevertheless take up considerably more room and is a heavier range.

SOTO WindMaster Overview: The WindMaster is simply as windproof because the Important Path, if no more, however in a smaller and lighter package deal. It’s a folding range, which suggests it’s extra compact, however the trade-off is much less sturdiness and a hefty price ticket. 

SOTO Amicus Cookset Combo Overview: Much like the Important Path, the Amicus Cookset Combo is tough to beat when it comes to affordability. The combo features a light-weight, foldable range, and two pots. The range performs decently though sacrificing some wind-blocking and gasoline effectivity over the Important Path.

MSR WindBurner Overview: That is one other absolutely built-in range system. It’s a bit pricier, however we discovered it to have one of many quickest boil occasions and the very best effectivity out of all that we examined.

An arial shot of the Primus Essential Trail stove on a fuel canister, sitting on a rock.
The Primus Important Path encompasses a huge burner and stuck pot assist. – Picture Credit score: Brett Kretzer (CleverHiker.com)